Patent GB-401438-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in the manufacture and production of nickel carbonyl
IPC: C01G53/02
Filed: 1932-07-18
Abstract: Nickel carbonyl is obtained by the action of carbon monoxide or a gas mixture containing it upon compact metallic nickel or materials containing it at a pressure of at least 2 atmospheres and a temperature of at least 100 DEG  C.  Pressures of 2-1000 atmospheres and temperatures of 100-350 DEG  C. are referred to. Suitable initial materials include nickel balls, waste nickel wire, net, foil, sheet or plate, coarse sawdust or filings, pieces of compact nickel obtained by sintering nickel powder, electrolytic nickel and nickel alloys or mixtures of nickel with other metals.  The initial material may be subjected, before treatment, to de-oiling, washing, brushing or like mechanical treatment, to a reducing treatment to remove oxide film, &c., or to etching or pickling with acids.  Catalysts such as water vapour, mercury, copper or amalgamated copper wire, may be present.  The temperature or pressure or both may be increased gradually during the reaction.  The carbon monoxide may be employed in a cycle and the reaction gases may be led into the reaction chamber at several places preferably in a state of fine dispersion. The temperature of the reaction chamber may be controlled as described in Specification 370,962.  The initial material may be supplied continuously as described in Specification 393,684.  The residue remaining after the reaction may contain some nickel in the form of nickel oxide or passive nickel.  This may be rendered useful by a reducing treatment, e.g. with hydrogen under pressure, if desired preceded by an oxidizing treatment.  The carbonyl may be separated from the gases by cooling under pressure, washing, absorption or electrical precipitation, the gases being freed from the last traces of carbonyl by thermal decomposition.  Mixtures of nickel with other metals, e.g. pulverulent alloys such as permalloy, may be obtained by decomposition of mixtures of the nickel carbonyl with other metal carbonyls.  Thus nickel-coated iron may be treated with carbon monoxide at 225 DEG  C. and 200 atmospheres pressure. The nickel is entirely removed and the mixture of nickel and iron carbonyls obtained, after the addition of cobalt carbonyl and further iron carbonyl, may be thermally decomposed in a hollow space to obtain a powder suitable for the preparation of an alloy of iron, nickel and cobalt.  The apparatus employed or the hot parts thereof may be lined with copper.  Examples are given. Specification 301,099, [Class 1 (ii), Inorganic compounds, other than &c.], also is referred to.ALSO:Mixtures of nickel with other metal, e.g. pulverulent alloys such as permalloy, are obtained by the thermal decomposition of mixtures of nickel carbonyl with other metal carbonyls.  Thus, nickel-coated iron may be treated with carbon monoxide at 225 DEG  C. and 200 atmospheres pressure.  The nickel is entirely removed and the mixture of nickel and iron carbonyls obtained, after the addition of cobalt carbonyl and further iron carbonyl, may be thermally decomposed in a hollow space to obtain a powder suitable for the preparation of an alloy of iron, nickel and cobalt.